Amegnon reviewed some maps inside the legion command tent. As Arch-magus, he was granted a fair amount of authority over the Astravian army. He was technically only in charge of the magical units, but given the combat potential of those units, he was quite influential. His orders to move the army had been obeyed during the battle now more than a week past, and as a result, they had won what would have been a costly battle with minimal casualties.

The army was quite happy to have won with minimal bloodshed. The dome around the anomaly finally contracted into a dungeon yesterday. It looked like a tall tower in the middle of the plains, and while the army moved closer to examine the structure, no one ventured into the dungeon yet. They were unsure of how powerful the dungeon was, given all the troops that it consumed. Amegnon, for his part, was unsure why the magical dome had taken so long to contract.

A flurry of aides and assistants bustled about, into and out of the tent, chattering wildly about the movements of the Verenci forces that remained. They also were speaking of dungeon logistics. They were camped right next to it, and like any temporary dungeon, it would need to be cleared. Amegnon didn't entirely agree with that sentiment. The area was uninhabited. If anything, a ruptured dungeon would help support their defenses in the region, so long as they weren't here when it burst.

The woman he had to make that argument to entered the tent, and a hush fell over the room. She just had that sort of presence. Most of the fighting men and women in the army called her "The Hammer" in tones of adoration and respect. He knew the name was one she earned on the battlefield, but he was surprised to see that she currently had a greatsword strapped to her back.

Zemena "The Hammer'' Corvin, Strong Right Hand of the Queen and general of all her armies, turned her piercing eyes on Amegnon. She just arrived at their position in the morning, after having fought for a week on another battlefield. She was the one who was ultimately in charge of the army, and the one he needed to convince of anything.

He had to suppress a shudder as she locked eyes with him. Olivander had long remarked on the strength of the woman, and Amegnon wasn't sure if he would be her equal in battle. Most of his advantages were against spellcasters, and she was rumored to use no magic whatsoever.

"Leave us," she said to no one in particular.

The tent emptied more quickly than Amegnon would have assumed possible.

"Zemena," he started, but she held up a hand to forestall him. He hadn't spoken to the woman since he took over the Arch-magus position. She had been out on campaign.

"Amegnon," she had a voice that was as hard and sharp as her blade. "Don't think of pandering to me. I know precious little of how and why you came to be where you are, and frankly, I don't care much about your reasoning. I didn't care for your predecessor on a personal level, but I respected him as Arch-magus. You, on the other hand? For your stunt at the palace, you earned a minor amount of irritation. For your stunt out here? You've earned my animosity."

Her eyes drilled into him and left him unable to speak. She wasn't done yet.

"Given what I see here, I would say that only one of us knows what your job is. So now speak, and tell me why I shouldn't remove your head from your shoulders for betrayal of your position."

Amegnon’s temper flared. He was Arch-magus and he would let himself be cowed so easily.

"You don't have the right to t—"

The room flashed. His cheek throbbed. He was on the floor ten feet away from where he had started. When his vision cleared he could see the Hammer using a dirty cloth to wipe blood from a gauntlet.

"Do not presume to lecture me on my rights. I am the Strong Right Hand of the Queen, and if she is not in this tent with us, my word is law."

He touched his cheek. Sure enough, the skin was split and his hand was bloody. It was a minor wound in the end, so he ignored it.

"Now, Arch-magus. Why is there a dungeon here, and why are my commanders telling me that it was you who drew it forth, consuming our enemies?"

He was stuck in an awkward position now. Not just because he was lying on the dirt floor bleeding, but because she potentially knew more than he did about what his actual job was. He needed to tread carefully in case some of his plans didn't align with the position he was in.

"May I get up?"

She nodded. He made his way to his feet, it wasn't dignified, but at least he wasn't looking up at her stern expression from the ground.

"The way I see it, everything I've done here has been a boon for our kingdom. We have routed the enemy with minimal casualties, and we now have a fresh dungeon to hone our best soldiers with. After this excursion, we'll be stronger than ever."

"And what of the balance your position is sworn to protect?"

He had been able to piece together this part of his duties from what Olivander had told him, as well as the notes he had found. As an apprentice, he had never heard Olivander talk too much about balance or how he handled it. His ability to portal around with such ease allowed him to take care of problems before anyone else even realized there were issues, so he rarely spoke on the matter. Still, Amegnon knew enough.

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"The dungeons provide the mechanism already! The only thing Olivander accomplished over the years was limiting us. Why suppress dungeons when they can only serve to strengthen us?"

"Do you truly know nothing? I take back what I said. Now I want to know, why did you wish to become Arch-magus?"

He had prepared this for when people started asking. He rubbed the back of his head like a child caught in a lie. He could live with people thinking of him as ignorant and selfish.

"It was always a dream of mine, ever since Olivander became Arch-magus. When I returned from my journey, I reported to the Queen directly. She asked if I desired the position, and I answered truthfully. She said she would support me if I challenged Olivander for the position."

The last half was true at least.

The Hammer crossed her arms and weighed his words.

"Since you forced your way into the position in a manner that left you without training, and the Council of Magi are apparently worthless, I will explain what little I know. The Arch-magus has three primary functions. The third of those is to support the armed forces of the kingdom. The first two are even more important for our long term survival. The second is to act as an intermediary with the great Dungeon Spirits. There is a conclave every year that you are required to host and attend. You meet with the spirits and work out their grievances. You should make a special note because the conclave should be in a few short weeks.

"And finally, first and foremost of your duties. You are required to maintain the balance of magic within the bounds of our kingdom. You can do this in a variety of ways. But you are supposed to limit the creation of dungeons to the best of your ability. I do not know what will happen, but too many dungeons will lead us to ruin. Not the greater heights you seem to think."

Amegnon couldn't see it. There must be some principle of magic that he was unaware of that threw a wrench into what he had planned. His plans weren’t so inflexible, but if he couldn’t create more dungeons, it would push back his timeline.

"I see. If that is true, then I have made a grave error here indeed."

He had no choice in the matter. But this new information meant he needed to be more careful. No more using the creation of dungeons as a weapon in battle. He would need to be more circumspect if he needed to create more dungeons.

Amegnon wanted to keep his head for many years to come, so he would not contradict the Hammer directly.

"You have. I would normally not blame someone for ignorance, but when that someone ruthlessly pushed to put themself into the position? It's on you to learn about what you need to do. You will return to the capital immediately. While you're there, learn your job. One more misstep and I will find another to fill the position. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, General.”

"Good, now get out of my sight."

That could have gone worse, he thought, leaving the tent. His head was still attached and he had alleviated at least a little of Zemena’s suspicion. Word of this would get back to the Queen, which could prove problematic in the long term, but he didn’t intend to wait that long to finish what he started.

“Arch-magus! A word!” a functionary in burnt orange robes hurried up to him. Amegnon recognized him as a high level magician trainer in the army. This man was a Magus, though he didn’t hold a position on the council. He couldn’t remember the man’s name.

He paused so the functionary could catch up.

“Arch-magus. The General has ordered the dungeon cleared immediately. Our diviners indicate it has a wide high gold to platinum range. Would you like a spot on the team we’re sending in to clear it?”

Amegnon didn’t have any need to run a dungeon, but it might prove entertaining. He had been ordered back to the capital immediately, but perhaps this was a higher priority in the Hammer’s eyes.

He thought it over for a moment.

“I’m afraid I have been ordered back to the capital,” he wouldn’t disobey a direct order with the General so upset with him.

“Of, course, Arch-magus, we will pull together an appropriate t—”

A piercing howl interrupted the functionary.

“BREACH!” a call went up, and the camp burst into chaos.

The dungeon was unstable and breaking apart. This was just about the worst case scenario.

“You see now, Amegnon?”

The Hammer was walking up behind him.

“Playing with power you do not understand is a dangerous gamble. Now, help me clean up your mess before you piss off.”

Zemena pulled out her greatsword, and it shifted in her grip, returning to its original form. A massive hammer.

The stone next to him shattered as the Hammer vanished in a blur of motion too fast for him to follow.

In the distance, next to the tower that was the dungeon, a huge insect, easily twenty feet tall was pulling itself out of the stone that made up the tower. A blur of motion stopped in the air in front of it, and the Hammer descended. The insect’s head caved in, and then its body burst apart. The force of the blow stripped tents from their poles around the camp, and many soldiers lost their balance.

The insect dissolved into magic and was drawn back into the dungeon.

“PREPARE FOR BATTLE!” the Hammer yelled.

Rifts in space began opening all over the area, and gold and platinum rank monsters began spilling out.